As fires burn down Uttarakhand forests, pending petitions find mention in Supreme Court
7 months, 3 weeks ago

As fires burn down Uttarakhand forests, pending petitions find mention in Supreme Court

The Hindu  

Uttarakhand on April 29 reported 47 fresh cases of forest fires that gutted over 78 hectares of land in the hills and injured two persons. Amidst the forest fires sweeping through the dense foliage in the mountains, a petitioner has made a special mention of the devastation in the Supreme Court and has sought an urgent listing of the matter. “Forest fire petitions are pending in the courts for the last three years,” senior advocate Rajiv Dutta informed the bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Around 50,000-plus hectares have been gutted since Uttarakhand became a state in 2000,” he said quoting numbers published in a Hindi newspaper. Data, sourced from the State Forest Department, published on the SDC website shows that 2,981 hectares of forests were destroyed in fire in the State in 2019 followed by 172 hectares in 2020, the year when human movement in the hills was stopped due to Covid-19 protocols.

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History of this topic

Heatwave, dry conditions push Uttarakhand forest fires to new high
6 months ago

Heatwave, dry conditions push Uttarakhand forest fires to new high

Hindustan Times  

A combination of heatwave conditions, dry weather, and poorly equipped responders has led to a fivefold increase in major forest fires in Uttarakhand since January 1 this year, when compared to the corresponding period in 2023, data from the Forest Survey of India showed. According to state officials, 11 people have died in Uttarakhand forest fires that have ravaged at …

How can Himachal Pradesh fight against forest fires? | Explained
6 months ago

How can Himachal Pradesh fight against forest fires? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: Himachal Pradesh is witnessing widespread forest fires across the region. According to the Himachal Pradesh Forest department, there have been a total of 1,684 forest fires since April 15. The primary causes of these forest fires are faulty forestry practices, and treating forests from a utilitarian perspective, excluding people’s participation. What the Himalayan States now need …

Fire in Uttarakhand’s Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary kills 4 forest dept staffers, 4 injured
6 months, 1 week ago

Fire in Uttarakhand’s Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary kills 4 forest dept staffers, 4 injured

Hindustan Times  

DEHRADUN: Four Uttarakhand forest department staffers died and four others were injured when the team was caught up in a raging forest fire in Almora district’s Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, special secretary to the chief minister, said the incident took place at about 3:30pm in the Civil Soyam Forest Division of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Uttarakhand has reported 1,213 …

Why are forest fires a concern for India? Maps explain
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Why are forest fires a concern for India? Maps explain

India Today  

Patches of forest burned in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as temperatures shot up beginning in April, destroying properties worth crores, killing wild animals, and filling the air with smoke for days in several tourist areas. Odisha ranked second with 1,866 fire incidents, Andhra Pradesh came third with 1,788 fires, Maharashtra had 1,493, and Chhattisgarh reported 1,330 fires in forest areas …

Jammu’s green gold ravaged, wildlife tormented as fires rage
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Jammu’s green gold ravaged, wildlife tormented as fires rage

Hindustan Times  

Amid unprecedented heatwave conditions this summer, over 1,000 fire incidents have occurred in the past month across the Jammu region, ravaging the forest ecosystem, fire and emergency services officials said. The deputy director of the Jammu and Kashmir fire and emergency services department, RK Raina said, “Over 1,000 fire incidents have taken place in the past over a month across …

Frequent fires in U’khand break my heart, says Aspirants actor Abhilash Thapliyal
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Frequent fires in U’khand break my heart, says Aspirants actor Abhilash Thapliyal

Hindustan Times  

Actor Abhilash Thapliyal of late has been quite vocal about forest fire outbreaks in Uttarakhand. Actor Abhilash Thapliyal “It breaks my heart to see the way fire in Uttarakhand has become a regular affair for many years now. But still, there should be proper planning in place for the road map ahead as it’s not always that we should let …

J-K: Udhampur witnesses second forest fire in three days, timbre worth crores destroyed
6 months, 3 weeks ago

J-K: Udhampur witnesses second forest fire in three days, timbre worth crores destroyed

India TV News  

A massive forest fire erupted in the Gangera Hill area of Udhampur district on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir, causing widespread loss of lush green forest. Bharam Dutt Sharma, the block forest officer in Udhampur, said that the fire started early in the morning and that efforts to extinguish it were still underway. Another forest fire blazing in Udhampur The …

Uttarakhand wildfires flare up again after brief lull
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Uttarakhand wildfires flare up again after brief lull

The Hindu  

Forest fires have flared up again in various parts of Uttarakhand, with two major fire incidents in the Gauhari range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the trek route to Nilkanth Mahadev temple in Rishikesh. The blaze that broke out in Gauhari range of the reserve on Thursday evening affected around 1.5 hectares of forest cover, Rajaji Reserve Director Saket …

'Much More Needs To Be Done': Himachal Pradesh High Court Asks Govt To Control Forest Fires, Minimise Damage To Ecology And Property
6 months, 3 weeks ago

'Much More Needs To Be Done': Himachal Pradesh High Court Asks Govt To Control Forest Fires, Minimise Damage To Ecology And Property

Live Law  

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to intensify efforts to prevent and control forest fires, emphasising the need to minimise damage to forest ecology and property. The court directed, “Respondents are expected to take all possible measures to ensure that forest fire are prevented and if not prevented at least controlled and damage to the forest …

Saw Images Of Forest Guards Dousing Fires With Banana Leaves : Supreme Court To Uttarakhand Govt, Seeks Permanent Solution To Forest Fires
7 months, 1 week ago

Saw Images Of Forest Guards Dousing Fires With Banana Leaves : Supreme Court To Uttarakhand Govt, Seeks Permanent Solution To Forest Fires

Live Law  

The Supreme Court, while hearing the matter regarding forest fires ranging across the State of Uttarakhand, was informed by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the State has taken the matter seriously. Further, the Court was also told that the Union officer alongwith the State's chief secretary and the Amicus Curiae would sit together to chalk out the modalities. Thereafter, …

Personally overseeing steps to combat forest fires, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary tells Supreme Court
7 months, 1 week ago

Personally overseeing steps to combat forest fires, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary tells Supreme Court

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Friday recorded the assurance given by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi that she and her fellow officers were personally looking into efforts to prevent and combat forest fires in the State. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked the Chief Secretary to meet with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and the court’s own amicus curiae to work out the …

Inferno rising
7 months, 1 week ago

Inferno rising

The Hindu  

2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record. With temperatures set to increase even more in the coming years due to the accelerating effects of climate change, experts and conservationists argue that better forest management practices are the need of the hour to limit the effects of fire on native forests. Be it smoking near vegetation or, …

Relying on rain in Uttarakhand
7 months, 1 week ago

Relying on rain in Uttarakhand

The Hindu  

It is like a national duty. “We haven’t had rainfall so far this year, so we are seeing continuous forest fires.” As in other states, most forest fires in Uttarakhand are anthropogenic or caused by human activity, he says. Anirudha says they have engaged close to 200 forest fire watchers, with a team of around 500 people to tackle forest …

SC slams Uttarakhand government over handling of forest fires, summons Chief Secretary
7 months, 1 week ago

SC slams Uttarakhand government over handling of forest fires, summons Chief Secretary

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over the steps taken by the Uttarakhand government in controlling forest fires, calling the state’s approach "lackadaisical.”. In its last hearing, the Uttarakhand government informed the Supreme Court about the steps taken by it to control forest fires in the hill state. The top court was hearing the matter related …

Uttarakhand Forest Fires: SC slams Uttarakhand’s approach in controlling forest fires, summons State’s Chief Secretary
7 months, 1 week ago

Uttarakhand Forest Fires: SC slams Uttarakhand’s approach in controlling forest fires, summons State’s Chief Secretary

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to examine if the Uttarakhand government had adopted a “lackadaisical” approach to dousing forest fires which took innocent lives and destroyed forest cover in the ecologically fragile Himalayan slopes. Gavai has sought a response from the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary on the level of preparedness of the State in the face of forest fires, which …

'Lackadaisical approach': Supreme Court slams Uttarakhand govt over forest fires
7 months, 1 week ago

'Lackadaisical approach': Supreme Court slams Uttarakhand govt over forest fires

Hindustan Times  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned the Uttarakhand chief secretary to appear before it on May 17 over the ‘lackadaisical’ approach shown by the Uttarakhand government in tackling fires. The Supreme Court has also sought an explanation on why central funds were not utilised for dousing fires as out of over ₹9 crore disbursed by Centre last year, only ₹3.14 …

Uttarakhand forest fires: 5 people dead, 1,300 hectares affected, says official
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Uttarakhand forest fires: 5 people dead, 1,300 hectares affected, says official

Hindustan Times  

Five people have lost their lives in the Uttarakhand forest fires, while 1,300 hectares have been affected, said head of forest force Dhananjay Mohan. Five people have lost their lives in the Uttarakhand forest fires, informed the state's Chief Conservator of Forest with an additional charge of Head of Forest Force Dhananjay Mohan. On Wednesday, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami …

Relying on ‘rain god’ no solution: SC to Uttarakhand as forest fires rage
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Relying on ‘rain god’ no solution: SC to Uttarakhand as forest fires rage

Hindustan Times  

Cloud seeding or depending on rain god is not the answer to the raging forest fires in Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court remarked on Wednesday, even as the state government submitted that several preventive measures, including cloud seeding, were being undertaken to tackle the situation. From November till today, we have 398 fires, all man-made.” As the court wished to know …

SC pitches for preventive steps, says cloud seeding, depending on rain god no solution for forest fires
7 months, 2 weeks ago

SC pitches for preventive steps, says cloud seeding, depending on rain god no solution for forest fires

New Indian Express  

Deputy Advocate General of Uttarakhand Jatinder Kumar Sethi told the court that all the fires were man-made. The state government placed before the bench an interim status report containing details of the various steps taken by authorities to deal with forest fires. A lawyer, who has filed an application for impleadment in the matter, told the bench that the state …

Uttarakhand forest fires: Death toll rises to 5, highest since 2019
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Uttarakhand forest fires: Death toll rises to 5, highest since 2019

Hindustan Times  

At least five persons have died in the ravaging forest fires in Uttarakhand in the past week with a 65-year-old woman identified as Savitri Devi succumbing to her burn injuries at AIIMS, Rishikesh, on Sunday night. Since November last year, 910 incidents of forest fires have been reported in the state in which over 1,144 hectares of forest land have …

Supreme Court to urgently hear Uttarakhand forest fire petitions on May 8
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Supreme Court to urgently hear Uttarakhand forest fire petitions on May 8

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on May 6 agreed to urgently hear petitions on Uttarakhand forest fires on May 8 even as petitioners said 90% of the blazes were “man-made”. Reports inform that 351 cases related to “man-made” forest fires were registered, implicating 59 named individuals and 290 unidentified suspects. In January 2021, the court had agreed to examine a plea to …

Uttarakhand forest fire: Three people from Bihar arrested in Chamoli for promoting blaze
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Uttarakhand forest fire: Three people from Bihar arrested in Chamoli for promoting blaze

India TV News  

Uttarakhand forest fire: The Uttarakhand Police on Saturday arrested three people from Bihar for allegedly promoting forest fires in the state, officials said. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami reviews forest fire incident Earlier this week, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stressed the need for advance preparations to deal with forest fire incidents in the state, noting that the responsibilities of …

Uttarakhand police arrest three people from Bihar for promoting forest fires
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Uttarakhand police arrest three people from Bihar for promoting forest fires

Hindustan Times  

The Uttarakhand Police on Saturday arrested three people from Bihar for allegedly promoting forest fires in the state, officials said. According to the police, a video came to light after it went viral on social media platforms wherein the three youths were promoting forest fires. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, Abhinav Kumar that several cases …

U’khand Forest Force chief asks officials to address fire alerts on priority
7 months, 2 weeks ago

U’khand Forest Force chief asks officials to address fire alerts on priority

Hindustan Times  

Dehradun, With forest fires still raging in Uttarakhand, newly appointed Head of Forest Force Dhananjai Mohan on Saturday asked officials of the department to address all fire alerts on priority and reduce the response time. HT Image Uttarakhand reported 18 forest fire incidents on Saturday in which 21.86 hectares of forest land were gutted. Visibility around the airport and its …

Uttarakhand: Mosar Alam, Nazifar Alam, Nurul, Salim and Feroz Alam arrested for setting forests on fire
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Uttarakhand: Mosar Alam, Nazifar Alam, Nurul, Salim and Feroz Alam arrested for setting forests on fire

Op India  

The Northern state of Uttarakhand has been grappling with forest fires for the past two weeks, destroying over 1000 acres of forest area. Amid this, a video of a man surfaced on social media wherein he was seen boasting about setting fire to forests. Migrants from Bihar burn forest in Uttarakhand and say "We will burn down entire forest, dont …

3 killed as forest fires continue in Uttarakhand
7 months, 3 weeks ago

3 killed as forest fires continue in Uttarakhand

Hindustan Times  

Three labourers were killed while another was injured while trying to douse a forest fire in Almora district of Uttarakhand, making it the first deaths this year in forest fires that have been raging in the hill state over the past fortnight, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday. The incident occurred in Someshwar tehsil on Thursday evening, when …

In first deaths in Uttarakhand forest fires, two labourers killed in Almora
7 months, 3 weeks ago

In first deaths in Uttarakhand forest fires, two labourers killed in Almora

Hindustan Times  

Dehradun: Two Nepalese labourers lost their lives in a forest fire incident in Uttarakhand’s Almora district, while two others sustained injuries in the blaze, officials said on Friday. Several regions in Uttarakhand are grappling with forest fires, destroying hectares of forest land The injured labourers suffered 30 to 40 per cent burn injuries and were shifted to Sushila Tiwari Hospital …

Uttarakhand records highest number of large forest fires in India in last 7 days
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Uttarakhand records highest number of large forest fires in India in last 7 days

Hindustan Times  

Uttarakhand has recorded the highest number of large forest fires and the highest number of fire alerts in the country in the last seven days, according to the data of the Forest Survey of India. Uttarakhand reported 201 large forest fire incidents in the last seven days compared to 11 large forest fire incidents in the same period last year. …

Dousing the summer fire in Uttarakhand
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Dousing the summer fire in Uttarakhand

Hindustan Times  

Unusually high local temperatures and other natural factors have contributed to the massive forest fires in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region. Forest fires typically shoot up in March-May, with the large buildup of dry foliage and other biomass during the preceding winter months getting exacerbated by the onset of the summer heat. While dousing operations are being conducted by Indian Air Force …

IAF, Army called in to quell Uttarakhand wildfire
7 months, 3 weeks ago

IAF, Army called in to quell Uttarakhand wildfire

Hindustan Times  

The Indian Air Force deployed two Mi-17 helicopters and the Army assisted forest officials to douse a forest fire threatening an air force station and a residential settlement in Nainital, Uttarakhand, on Saturday. The helicopters collected water using Bambi buckets from Bhimtal lake and conducted over a dozen sorties, successfully extinguishing the fire near the Lariyakanta air force station by …

Army called to control raging forest fire in Uttarakhand, IAF using Bambi Buckets to douse flames
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Army called to control raging forest fire in Uttarakhand, IAF using Bambi Buckets to douse flames

The Hindu  

A massive forest fire sweeping through the dense foliage of the mountains of Uttarakhand has gutted over 108 hectare of forest land in the State. Arrest is a ‘classic case’ of assault against the Opposition, Kejriwal tells Supreme Court Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has told the Supreme Court that his arrest in the Delhi Excise policy case is a …

India reported over 75,000 forest fires in April; Odisha worst hit
7 months, 4 weeks ago

India reported over 75,000 forest fires in April; Odisha worst hit

Hindustan Times  

Even as Army helicopters have been pressed to douse forest fires in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, the Forest Survey of India data on forest fires shows Odisha to be the worst hit followed by Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. The FSI data shows that close to 80% of the forest fires in April started after middle of the month, especially in plains of …

Nainital wildfires: Army called to control raging forest fire in Uttarakhand, IAF using Bambi Buckets to douse flames
7 months, 4 weeks ago

Nainital wildfires: Army called to control raging forest fire in Uttarakhand, IAF using Bambi Buckets to douse flames

The Hindu  

Massive forest fires sweeping through the dense foliage in the mountains of Uttarakhand for the past 72 hours have gutted over 142 hectares of forest land in the State. With a fire reaching the vicinity of an Air Force Station near the Nanda range, the Indian Air Force on Saturday deployed a Mi-17 V5 helicopter to douse the flames using …

Treat winter fires as a national warning
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Treat winter fires as a national warning

New Indian Express  

Two of India’s Himalayan states have reported an alarming level of forest fires right in the middle of winter. The 10,000-odd winter wildfires have left environmentalists perplexed, because the fire season usually begins mid-February and lasts till June, which means the worse is yet to come. Himachal Pradesh recorded 536 forest fires during November 2019-June 2020, which jumped to 5,280 …

No-snow results in high number of forest fires in Uttarakhand
11 months ago

No-snow results in high number of forest fires in Uttarakhand

New Indian Express  

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has witnessed the highest number of forest fire cases in the country in 2024, with over 600 alerts issued. According to the forest department, Uttarakhand has experienced an unprecedented surge in forest fire alerts, with over 600 cases reported between January 9 and 16, marking the highest number in the country. Forest Range Officer Naval Kishore stated, “Our …

Uttarakhand: Massive fire sweeps through market in Chamoli, properties worth lakhs gutted
1 year, 8 months ago

Uttarakhand: Massive fire sweeps through market in Chamoli, properties worth lakhs gutted

India TV News  

Uttarakhand fire: A massive fire broke out at a market in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Thursday. "The fire broke out in more than half a dozen shops at a highway leading to Nandanagar in Nandprayag, Uttarakhand at around 4 am today," officials added. Forest fire in Uttarakhand Notably, forest fires had flared up in Uttarakhand last year during the summer. …

Prolonged dry spell sparks wildfires across Himachal Pradesh
2 years, 7 months ago

Prolonged dry spell sparks wildfires across Himachal Pradesh

The Hindu  

The prolonged dry spell coupled with unusually high temperatures in recent days has triggered several wildfires in Himachal Pradesh, destroying several hectares of forest cover across many parts of the hill State. The early onset of summer this year in the hills posed a major challenge for the State government’s efforts to control forest fires and with dry weather conditions …

Forest Fires Run Wild in Himachal Pradesh with Summer Coming Early amid A Lengthy Dry Spell
2 years, 7 months ago

Forest Fires Run Wild in Himachal Pradesh with Summer Coming Early amid A Lengthy Dry Spell

News 18  

With the mercury shooting up and a prolonged dry spell, Himachal Pradesh is witnessing an alarming increase in the number of forest fires, causing losses worth crores of rupees. The forest fires have so far affected an area of 4,000 hectares and the forest department has pegged the damage at over a crore rupees. Even though the forest department has …

Forest fires break out in J&K and Uttarakhand | Video
2 years, 7 months ago

Forest fires break out in J&K and Uttarakhand | Video

Hindustan Times  

Massive forest fires were reported from Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand in the last 24 hours. Visuals of fire in Uttarakhand shared by news agency ANI, A fire broke out in the Gangara Hills forest of Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur on Monday, news agency ANI reported. A team of forest personnel, tehsildar, the revenue sub-inspector, and the disaster management officer …

Uttarakhand HC takes suo moto cognisance of alarming forest fires
3 years, 8 months ago

Uttarakhand HC takes suo moto cognisance of alarming forest fires

Hindustan Times  

Taking suo moto cognisance of the alarming forest fires in the state, Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday summoned principal chief convertor of forests Rajiv Bhartari to explain the preparedness of the state forest department and measures that have been taken over the years. From 2000 to April 5 this year, the hill state has lost 49,231 hectares of forest land …

Uttarakhand forest minister posts a video fighting forest fire; slammed
3 years, 8 months ago

Uttarakhand forest minister posts a video fighting forest fire; slammed

Hindustan Times  

Amid the raging forest fire in Uttarakhand which has affected over 1300 hectares of area, state forest and wildlife minister Harak Singh Rawat has drawn flak over a video, in which he and his aide are seen trying to douse a forest fire with what appeared to be a shrub or a stem. But now, when the choppers of the …

As forests blaze in Uttarakhand, poor visibility grounds firefighting copters
3 years, 8 months ago

As forests blaze in Uttarakhand, poor visibility grounds firefighting copters

India Today  

The fire in Uttarakhand’s forests continues to rage unabated as the efforts of the state administration prove to be inadequate. Smoke from the multiple forest fires is billowing over the Kumaon region of the state, reducing visibility to almost negligible across the eastern part of the state. On Tuesday, four major active cases of fire have been reported, said Forest …

Uttarakhand battles 40 active forest fires, IAF sends help | All you need to know
3 years, 8 months ago

Uttarakhand battles 40 active forest fires, IAF sends help | All you need to know

India Today  

At least 40 active fires are currently ravaging the forests of Uttarakhand. Here is all you need to know about Uttarakhand forest fires: What are the worst-affected areas by fire? In 2017, Uttarakhand recorded 1,228, in 2016 state saw 4,433 fires in its forests and in 2015, it recorded 701 incidents of forest fires. Annually, the state government undertakes a …

Uttarakhand Loses Over 1,240 Hectares of Land This Year as Forest Fires Wreak Havoc
3 years, 8 months ago

Uttarakhand Loses Over 1,240 Hectares of Land This Year as Forest Fires Wreak Havoc

News 18  

It is just the beginning of summer season in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and the incidents of forest fires have gone haywire. Last year 172 hectares of forest land was gutted and this year till date, more than 1,240 hectares, which is roughly to the size of 2,317 football grounds, have been lost in wildfires. More than 950 wildfire …

Uttarakhand to file case against those spreading fake news about wildfire
4 years, 6 months ago

Uttarakhand to file case against those spreading fake news about wildfire

Op India  

Yesterday social media was full of old, misleading photos of wildfires from all over the world, falsely claiming severe wildfire in Uttarakhand. We’ll file Police complaint against such rumours: Jai Raj https://t.co/MC0MOBXedV — ANI May 28, 2020 Old photos from all over the world used to falsely claim severe wildfire in Uttarakhand Some horrific photos and videos of wildfires claiming …

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